Has anyone ever been able to convince a skeptical loved one to use TCM?

[Guest guest]

One other thing,

 

My grandmother and grandfather are both in their late 70s. My

grandmother has Lupus, chronic pain in one leg that western doctor's

couldn't find the source of for many years before finally recognizing

that it was an infection. Still no relief from that and her right

hand is numb because of some deadened nerve ends. They are talking

about surgery for that.

 

My grandfather's illnesses are so progressed . . . he is a very

disciplined man and he had done every regimen western doctors have

prescribed, diet change, weight loss, excercise but still needed

mutliple bypass surgeries, angioplasty, and ended up having a stroke.

 

I became very angry though, when finally he ended up on dialysis

because of prolonged use of blood pressure medication. That's no

quality of life; no way to live the rest of his life. And certainly

that is not 'treatment' if this is the end result. So the anger has

subsided but I have been looking for alternatives ever since.

 

How would you broach the subject of alternative medicine to someone

you cared about? It seems at the very least my grandmother could get

some additional relief from acupuncture and TCM.

 

zenisis

[Guest guest]

I have. My husband. It happened over time.

 

At first he wouldn't try anything I suggested for anything.

 

Then, his doctor disovered he had slightly high blood pressure. In

spite of the fact that my husband walks 3 miles a day and at that

time regularly meditated and is a very calm person, the doctor said

his rise in blood pressure was due to nerves. He prescribed an

antihistamine that has tranquilizing properties. I told my husband

that what the doctor prescribed didn't make sense, and it actually

could raise his blood pressure. It did. That's when my husband

became very interested in trying an alternative. Garlic worked for

him.

 

My husband lifts weights regularly. He caught himself between a

weight and the weight bench. I suggested a salt and apple vinegar

pack. He didn't want to try it at first, but he was in pain and

eventually agreed to try it. The next day, the area that should

have had a very nasty bruise had one very small, faint, yellowish

spot that looked like a bruise that was almost healed.

 

The next time he hurt himself, I didn't have to talk him into

anything. He fell off a ladder. He called for a salt and vinegar

pack right away. The next day, the result was the same as the first

time. A very small, faintly discolored area that looked like a

bruise that is almost healed. The pack also helps with pain some,

but not entirely.

 

Accepting alternative medicine often is a gradual thing. It helps if

the person has had time to learn a little bit about the subject and

personally knows someone who has benefited from alternative healing.

The first time a person gets some dramatic relief from a problem

that other treatment has not been able to do much for, the person

usually starts to seek out alternative medicine. My husband wasn't

feeling anything because of his elevated blood pressure, and it was

only slightly high. Besides, garlic's a food that he's eaten before.

On the other hand, he knew that the accident with a heavy weight

should have left a very nasty bruise, but it didn't. And the pack

did lessen his pain some.

[Guest guest]

My goodness! It just so happens I was looking for TCM approaches to

first aid.

 

How do you make a salt and apple vinegar pack? Maybe it will help

with some of her pain.

 

Perhaps someone could suggest a layman's guide to TCM, Ayurveda,

Acupressure? I didn't intend to jump in with so many questions.

 

Actually, I called Grandmommy today and she has received acupuncture

from a physical therapist. But no Chinese medicine. She said it was

helpful.

 

I looked up TCM treatments for Lupus and mentioned to her that a

combination of Chinese herbs and acupuncture can reduce some of the

reliance on steroids which are expensive and make her swell up. I

could 'hear' her sit up and pay attention.:-)

 

I am going to an open house for the local TCM school next week,

perhaps they can recommend a competent practioner for her.

 

Zenisis

 

Chinese Traditional Medicine , " victoria_dragon "

<victoria_dragon> wrote:

>

> I have. My husband. It happened over time.

>

> At first he wouldn't try anything I suggested for anything.

>

> Then, his doctor disovered he had slightly high blood pressure. In

> spite of the fact that my husband walks 3 miles a day and at that

> time regularly meditated and is a very calm person, the doctor said

> his rise in blood pressure was due to nerves. He prescribed an

> antihistamine that has tranquilizing properties. I told my husband

> that what the doctor prescribed didn't make sense, and it actually

> could raise his blood pressure. It did. That's when my husband

> became very interested in trying an alternative. Garlic worked for

> him.

>

> My husband lifts weights regularly. He caught himself between a

> weight and the weight bench. I suggested a salt and apple vinegar

> pack. He didn't want to try it at first, but he was in pain and

> eventually agreed to try it. The next day, the area that should

> have had a very nasty bruise had one very small, faint, yellowish

> spot that looked like a bruise that was almost healed.

>

> The next time he hurt himself, I didn't have to talk him into

> anything. He fell off a ladder. He called for a salt and vinegar

> pack right away. The next day, the result was the same as the first

> time. A very small, faintly discolored area that looked like a

> bruise that is almost healed. The pack also helps with pain some,

> but not entirely.

>

> Accepting alternative medicine often is a gradual thing. It helps if

> the person has had time to learn a little bit about the subject and

> personally knows someone who has benefited from alternative healing.

> The first time a person gets some dramatic relief from a problem

> that other treatment has not been able to do much for, the person

> usually starts to seek out alternative medicine. My husband wasn't

> feeling anything because of his elevated blood pressure, and it was

> only slightly high. Besides, garlic's a food that he's eaten before.

> On the other hand, he knew that the accident with a heavy weight

> should have left a very nasty bruise, but it didn't. And the pack

> did lessen his pain some.

>

[Guest guest]

Victoria:

 

I have never heard of the salt and vinegar pack. I normally usually arninca

with great results but would like to ask you to share the way you make the pack

regarding amounts of ingredients, application time, etc.

 

Thank you

Brian

 

victoria_dragon <victoria_dragon wrote:

I have. My husband. It happened over time.

 

At first he wouldn't try anything I suggested for anything.

 

Then, his doctor disovered he had slightly high blood pressure. In

spite of the fact that my husband walks 3 miles a day and at that

time regularly meditated and is a very calm person, the doctor said

his rise in blood pressure was due to nerves. He prescribed an

antihistamine that has tranquilizing properties. I told my husband

that what the doctor prescribed didn't make sense, and it actually

could raise his blood pressure. It did. That's when my husband

became very interested in trying an alternative. Garlic worked for

him.

 

My husband lifts weights regularly. He caught himself between a

weight and the weight bench. I suggested a salt and apple vinegar

pack. He didn't want to try it at first, but he was in pain and

eventually agreed to try it. The next day, the area that should

have had a very nasty bruise had one very small, faint, yellowish

spot that looked like a bruise that was almost healed.

 

The next time he hurt himself, I didn't have to talk him into

anything. He fell off a ladder. He called for a salt and vinegar

pack right away. The next day, the result was the same as the first

time. A very small, faintly discolored area that looked like a

bruise that is almost healed. The pack also helps with pain some,

but not entirely.

 

Accepting alternative medicine often is a gradual thing. It helps if

the person has had time to learn a little bit about the subject and

personally knows someone who has benefited from alternative healing.

The first time a person gets some dramatic relief from a problem

that other treatment has not been able to do much for, the person

usually starts to seek out alternative medicine. My husband wasn't

feeling anything because of his elevated blood pressure, and it was

only slightly high. Besides, garlic's a food that he's eaten before.

On the other hand, he knew that the accident with a heavy weight

should have left a very nasty bruise, but it didn't. And the pack

did lessen his pain some.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

> I have never heard of the salt and vinegar pack. I normally

usually arninca with great results but would like to ask you to

share the way you make the pack regarding amounts of ingredients,

application time, etc.

 

I've never used arninca, but I bet it isn't as pungent smelling or

as messy as the salt and apple cidar vinegar packs. (grin)

 

I mention the salt and apple cidar vinegar packs mainly for people

who don't have access to neater ways of helping and for some cases

where the other ways aren't working or working as well as the salt

and vinegar would.

 

Since TCM healers are still fairly rare in the US and other Western

countries outside of big cities, I have a special interest in things

that people readily can get or have on hand. Most households have

salt on hand, and many have vinegar, hopefully apple cidar vinegar.

 

Another reason why I have this interest in things readily available

is that had I known basic TCM years ago, I probably never would have

gotten as sick as I got. I would have picked up some ginger in the

spice or produce section of a local supermarket, and made ginger

tea. At the very least I wouldn't have felt as cold as I did for so

long. I would have eaten a lot more chive seeds, pistachio nuts,

shrimp, and walnuts as these have Yang tonic and/or Kidney tonic

properties.

 

One of the best Yang tonic foods is kidneys. When I fix a chicken

or turkey for the holidays, I make sure to boil and then chop the

kidneys very fine and include them in the dressing. I use the broth

from boiling the giblets to make the dressing instead of using plain

hot water. These are things that even cooks who use one of the " just

add water and butter " boxes of stuffing can do. Use the broth from

boiling the giblets instead of plain hot water, and add the giblets

up up fine, and fresh, diced onions and celery. They really jazz up

a box of prepared stuffing.

[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , " zenisis7 " <findme@z...>

wrote:

>

> My goodness! It just so happens I was looking for TCM approaches

to

> first aid.

 

When my husband and I moved across country, I included salt and

apple cidar vinegar in the first aid kit. It's still in there. I

poured some salt into a zip-lock baggie (a small bottle also would

do), and poured some apple cidar vinegar into a washed bottle that

rubbing alcohol had come in.

 

> I am going to an open house for the local TCM school next week,

> perhaps they can recommend a competent practioner for her.

 

This is very good. Perhaps they will see her in their clinic.

 

> I looked up TCM treatments for Lupus and mentioned to her that a

> combination of Chinese herbs and acupuncture can reduce some of the

> reliance on steroids which are expensive and make her swell up. I

> could 'hear' her sit up and pay attention.:-)

 

This is very good too. When people of any age develop an interest

in something new, it can give them a new lease on life.

 

BTW, for centuries TCM looked at geriatric problems as primarily due

to the decline of Kidney function due to aging. Modern TCM is also

paying a lot of attention to Blood Stasis as a big cause of problems

the elderly experienced. Aging & Blood Stasis: A New TCM Approach

to Geriatrics by Yan De-Xin (Blue Poppy Press) looks at this in

detail.